1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a children's craft toy and, more particularly, to a craft set for creating stuffed-art designs.
2. Background Art
There is a wide variety of craft or activity sets available to children for creating artistic displays and decorative designs. Most of such children's sets facilitate the creation by children of a perhaps artistically simplified but nevertheless aesthetically satisfying display or design. Thus, for example, paint-by-number kits have provided children with many hours of enjoyment. One form of artistic or creative expression involves the making of various designs and decorations by stitching and stuffing. In such stuffed-stitchery different colored, patterned or textured fabrics are used to create elements of an overall design and a relatively soft, compressible substance is inserted between the outer fabric of the design elements and a backing to produce a soft sculptured effect. Children could be provided with sets of precut pieces of fabric, stuffing, a backing sheet with a preprinted design, thread and a needle, in the manner of the paint-by-number kits. However, some children, particularly younger children, may not have the necessary dexterity or coordination to complete the stuffed-art even with the aid of a preprinted pattern and precut fabric pieces in a kit. In addition, the pointed needles may cause some injury. Furthermore, while the permanence of the results obtainable with such kits may be desirable if a particularly pleasing result is obtained, it leaves little margin for error and does not encourage additional attempts to produce a better or more pleasing result without having to obtain a new kit. Accordingly, there remains a need for a children's stuffed-art craft set that permits children to, relatively easily and safely, create artwork having a soft, sculptured, three-dimensional effect while permitting the child to freely exercise choices of color, pattern and texture. Moreover, there remains a need for such a craft set that affords the child the opportunity to change the results and create new and different finished designs without requiring the purchase of a complete new set or kit.